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When I finally decided to get my CCW license I realized, "Gee, I own guns, but I don't own a CCW gun." Sure, I have a big, honking 1911, a Glock 17 and a heavy .357 magnum in my gun vault, but none of them lend themselves to easy concealment. Now I know there are guys out there who swear they can pack a 1911 wearing only a pair of Speedos and a smile but I'm not one of them. So I went looking for a small reliable pistol I could carry in reasonable comfort and still have the confidence it could save my bacon if called into service one day. Here’s what I didn’t pick.
Walther PPK or other .380 pistols – Now I want a PPK. I love James Bond. But if I get one it’ll be a fun gun – a curio. But I just don’t trust a .380 to do the job. In a self-defense situation you may only get one or two shots off. They have to count. And the same thinking applied to the .32 ACP and guns like the Kel-Tec. Great weapons, just not for me.
Glock 19 or 26 or other small 9MM.
I already have a Glock 17 and the 19 just didn’t fit right in my hand. I also found the 26 to be too chunky. I almost got a Walther PPS - slim, trim and a joy to shoot. But if I get a Walther it’ll be the PPK. I also looked at other brands like Kahr and but no sale. Now I have faith in good 9MM loadings for defensive purposes but I just wanted something with more “oomph.” So I decided to go with the .45 ACP. Even in hardball it’s a good round.
J Frame Revolvers.
Great guns. Can’t shoot them well to save my life.
Small 1911’s and the Glock 30.
I own a 1911 who’s cost could’ve paid for two plane tickets to Hawaii. Great gun. Supper accurate. A Ferrari. And like a Ferrari it’s been in the shop two times. 1911s are reliable but let’s face it, they do jam up on occasion and have problems guns of modern manufacture do not.The smaller 1911’s even more so. YMMV but my 1911 has let me down. My Glock 17, however, has never failed me, even after 5000 rounds. So I decided to go with a Glock. No safeties to fumble with. Just point and shoot. I almost got a used Glock 30, my first choice since it holds 10 +1 rounds, but was just too big for my hands. So the salesman put a Glock 36 in my hands.
The gun was thin and light and fit my hand like a glove. I grumbled over the 6 + 1 capacity but realized, “If I ever need more than 7 rounds of 45 ACP I’ll be in big trouble. And since I cant tuck my AR in my pants I decided to go with the 36. I’m happy I did.
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When I fired the gun for the first time I expected the recoil to hammer me. It didn’t. For me the recoil was just a little stouter than firing a Glock 19. And because the gun is small and I’m able to get such a good grip on it muzzle rise was less than on my heavier 1911. I was able to perform double taps easier than I thought possible. At reasonable combat distances the gun’s super accurate. I was able to get two inch COM groups at 10 yards no problem. When you get farther out the guns small sight radius makes things harder but head shots are possible at 25 yards if you take the time to practice. But since this is a close in “Oh sh..” gun that wasn’t long range accuracy wasn’t a priority for me. The 36 is good enough for it’s intended purpose. And it packs a .45 ACP punch. Now all handgun rounds are suboptimal. But since I can’t tote a shotgun around 24/7 the .45 ACP’s the best choice for me.
So I got a nice fiber optic sight put on, bought a High Noon Down Under IWB holster, hooked it on a Beltman 1.5 inch belt and I’m good to go. The gun just disappears under polo shirt or a sweater. And after 2000 rounds the guns has never not gone bang, I’m very happy.
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